HPE 628063-B21 3TB 7200RPM 3.5in SATA-3G Midline G4-G7 HDD.

HPE 628063-B21 3TB Midline Hard Drive

The HPE 628063-B21 represents a cornerstone of reliable, high-capacity storage within HPE's Midline hard drive family. Engineered specifically for Hewlett Packard Enterprise servers and storage systems, this 3.5-inch, 3TB SATA drive delivers the optimal balance of performance, capacity, and cost-effectiveness for demanding business environments. It is designed to handle data-intensive tasks that require substantial storage space without the premium cost associated with performance-optimized SAS drives, making it an ideal solution for secondary storage, nearline storage, archival, and backup applications.

Key Specifications

A comprehensive understanding of the HPE 628063-B21 begins with its fundamental technical specifications. These parameters define the drive's capabilities and its appropriate use cases within an IT infrastructure.

Capacity and Form Factor

This drive offers a formatted capacity of 3 Terabytes (TB), providing ample space for vast amounts of data. The physical form factor is 3.5 inches, which is the standard size for high-capacity drives used in servers and storage arrays. This form factor allows for efficient use of rack space and is compatible with a wide range of HPE server and storage backplanes designed for 3.5-inch drive bays.

Interface and Data Transfer Protocol

The drive utilizes a SATA (Serial ATA) interface, specifically SATA-3GBPS, which is also known as SATA II. This interface provides a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 3.0 Gigabits per second (Gbps). While newer SATA revisions offer higher speeds, the 3Gbps rate is well-suited for the drive's 7200RPM rotational speed and is perfectly adequate for its intended use cases in midline storage, where maximizing capacity and reliability is often more critical than achieving peak sequential transfer performance.

Rotational Speed and Performance

With a rotational speed of 7200 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM), the HPE 628063-B21 strikes a balance between performance and power consumption. This speed enables faster data access times compared to lower-RPM drives (such as 5400 RPM models), resulting in improved performance for read and write operations. The 7200RPM speed ensures that data retrieval for archived files or backup restoration is efficient, preventing bottlenecks in workflows that depend on accessible secondary storage.

Physical and Environmental Specifications

The drive is built to operate reliably in the controlled but demanding environment of a data center server room. Its design accounts for factors such as vibration, temperature, and power draw.

Power Requirements and Consumption

The HPE 628063-B21 is designed with energy efficiency in mind. Typical power consumption during active read/write operations is optimized to reduce the total cost of ownership and minimize heat output within the server chassis. Specific power draw figures, such as operating and idle power, are engineered to meet HPE's stringent requirements for their server platforms, ensuring stable operation without overloading power supplies.

Acoustics and Operating Temperature

Acoustic noise levels are managed to be suitable for a server environment. The drive's operating temperature range is typically from 5°C to 55°C, allowing it to function correctly in standard data center cooling conditions. Adhering to these temperature specifications is crucial for ensuring long-term reliability and preventing data loss due to thermal stress.

Compatibility and Integration with HPE Infrastructure

The HPE 628063-B21 is not a generic hard drive; it is purpose-built and rigorously tested for seamless integration with HPE's server and storage portfolio. This ensures reliability, manageability, and firmware compatibility.

Supported HPE Server Generations (G4 to G7)

A key feature of this drive is its broad compatibility with several generations of HPE ProLiant servers, specifically from Generation 4 (G4) through Generation 7 (G7). This includes popular server lines such as the ProLiant DL, ML, and BL series within that generational range. For example, it is a certified and supported component for workhorse models like the ProLiant DL380 G6/G7 and DL360 G6/G7, among many others. This wide compatibility makes it an excellent choice for maintaining, upgrading, or expanding existing HPE server deployments.

Smart Array Controller Compatibility

The drive is fully compatible with HPE Smart Array controllers of the corresponding generations, including the P410i, P212, and P812, to name a few. When used with these controllers, the drive can be integrated into various RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations, such as RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, or RAID 10, to provide data redundancy and improve performance. The HPE firmware on the drive ensures smooth communication with the controller for advanced features like predictive failure analysis and array migration.

Storage System Compatibility

Beyond standalone servers, the 628063-B21 is also qualified for use in HPE StorageWorks and related storage solutions. It can be deployed in storage arrays designed for 3.5-inch SATA drives, providing a high-capacity storage pool for file servers, network-attached storage (NAS) solutions, and dedicated backup appliances. Using HPE-certified drives in these systems guarantees that performance and error-handling characteristics are as expected by the storage system's firmware.

Firmware and HPE Integration

This drive ships with HPE-specific firmware, which is a critical differentiator from its retail counterparts. The HPE firmware is tailored to optimize the drive's behavior in an enterprise environment. It enhances error recovery controls, improves compatibility with HPE hardware, and enables seamless integration with HPE's management ecosystem, including HPE OneView and the Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) management controller. This allows system administrators to monitor drive health, receive predictive failure alerts, and manage the drive as a fully integrated component of the HPE infrastructure.

Intended Use Cases and Application Scenarios

The "Midline" classification of the HPE 628063-B21 clearly defines its role in the data storage hierarchy. It is engineered for data that is accessed less frequently than mission-critical primary data but still requires reliable, online, and readily accessible storage.

Secondary and Nearline Storage

This drive is perfectly suited for secondary storage roles where cost-per-terabyte is a significant factor. It can serve as the bulk storage layer in a tiered storage architecture, holding data that does not require the ultra-low latency of primary SSDs or SAS drives but must remain online for periodic access.

Data Archiving and Compliance

For organizations that need to retain large volumes of data for long periods for regulatory compliance, historical record-keeping, or business intelligence, the 3TB capacity of this drive offers an economical solution. Its reliability ensures that archived data remains intact and retrievable when needed, years into the future.

Backup and Disaster Recovery Targets

In backup applications, the HPE 628063-B21 is an excellent choice for housing backup data. Whether used in a dedicated backup server or a virtual tape library (VTL), its large capacity allows for substantial backup retention windows. The 7200RPM speed facilitates faster backup jobs and quicker data restoration compared to lower-performance alternatives, which can be critical during a disaster recovery scenario.

Media Storage and File Servers

Environments that manage large files, such as video and audio repositories, graphic design assets, or scientific datasets, benefit greatly from the high capacity of these drives. In a file server or NAS device, multiple HPE 628063-B21 drives can be combined to create a massive, cost-effective storage pool for unstructured data.

Advanced Features and Technologies

The HPE 628063-B21 incorporates several technologies that enhance its performance, efficiency, and reliability in an enterprise setting.

Vibration Protection and Compensation

In multi-drive systems, vibration from neighboring disks can negatively impact performance and longevity. This drive features built-in rotational vibration sensors and compensation mechanisms. This technology allows the drive to maintain accurate head positioning and consistent performance even in densely populated storage enclosures subject to vibrational forces.

Power Management Features

To reduce energy consumption, the drive supports multiple power states, including active, idle, and standby modes. It can spin down during periods of inactivity, significantly lowering power draw and heat generation in a large-scale deployment, which contributes to a lower total cost of ownership.

Comparison with Other Drive Classes

Understanding the position of the Midline SATA drive in relation to other storage options helps in making an informed purchasing decision.

Midline SATA vs. Enterprise SAS Drives

Enterprise SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) drives are designed for maximum performance and reliability in mission-critical, 24/7 transactional applications. They offer higher rotational speeds (10K or 15K RPM), a more robust dual-port interface for redundancy, and a significantly higher workload rating. However, they come at a higher cost per gigabyte. The Midline SATA drive sacrifices some performance and the dual-port capability for a much more attractive price point, making it the better choice for capacity-oriented, less I/O-intensive tasks.

Midline vs. Entry SATA Drives

While both may use the SATA interface, HPE Midline drives are a class above entry-level or desktop-class SATA drives. Midline drives feature more robust components, enhanced firmware for error recovery, vibration tolerance, and are tested to withstand the demands of a server environment. They carry a higher MTBF and are certified for use in HPE hardware, which is not the case for consumer-grade drives that are not recommended for server use.